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Happy Friday loves! I haven’t done a Friday Favorites in months! Without further ado:

It’s so odd to think I gave up both dairy and grains a few months ago to try to be ‘healthy.’ I honestly found that I feel so much better eating healthy protein-packed greek yogurt and granola. Here are some of my favorite finds I have been LOVING lately!

I love Greek yogurt and Chobani will always have my heart, but I love Siggi’s Skyr Yogurt. What is Skyr? According to Siggi’s:

“Skyr is the traditional yogurt of Iceland. It is made by incubating skim milk with live active cultures. The whey, the water naturally found in milk, is then strained away to make for a much thicker, creamier, concentrated yogurt. So to make just one cup of skyr, with all that water going out, you need 3 – 4 times the amount of milk required to make a regular cup of yogurt. As a result of this process skyr comes out with 2-3 times the protein count of standard yogurt.”

*Warning for your sweet tooth: It is a bit more tart than other Greek yogurts and more thick, too. I love it! I’ve been having it along with Muesli Fusion and Kind granola for snacking and breakfasts! I also use it as a filling in my egg white ‘crepes’ I eat for brinner!

Strange but oh so good!

Another Skyr yogurt product I found at CVS of all places- B’more Organic Skyr Vanilla smoothie!

It is a fantastic smoothie with more than 30g of protein per bottle! Plus, no added sugar! What’s more- they “donate 10% of after tax profits to Jodi’s Climb for Hope—a non-profit dedicated to funding cures for breast cancer and MS.” Awesome! I poured this over some granola from Teaism I got near my office for a healthy snack!

Muesli Fusion– I actually have been a fan of muesli- a loose, raw granola-like cereal more common overseas- since I went on a European cruise back in 2008. The ship was based out of England so their breakfast spread was catered to the European clients- meats and cheeses as well as their version of oatmeal- muesli! Cold, wet oats with nuts, seeds and dried fruit.

My favorite flavor!!

Anyway, I got to try, fell in love with, and snagged a couple bags of this awesome stuff while at Blend Retreat. It is by far the best muesli I have ever had! I have been making overnight oats- something I never do!- for the past couple of weeks. My favorite flavor has some great stuff in it, too! Oats, chia seeds, almonds, cranberries, hemp hearts and unsweetened coconut! Here’s my recipe for the best overnight oats featuring Muesli Fusion:

Mix all ingredients in a plastic container, store in fridge overnight. Add a splash more almond milk in the morning, top with favorite toppings (I love more hemp hearts and Kind granola) and dig in! You can also heat it up in the microwave for a minute or two as well- I love it both ways!

Kind Granola– I stopped eating granola when I went strict paleo/Whole 30 since granola has oats in it (paleo= no grains of any kind…aka persistent grumpy Krista). I had heard about Kind granola and seen it in the stores so thought I would give it a try. I LOVE it- it is super crunchy (a must for granola), gluten free, no funky ingredients, and lots of fiber! Plus- it has super big clusters! Totally loose granola like oats is just weird- give me the clusters!

Lastly, a couple bonuses for you guys!!

First, to top off your yogurt edition Friday Favorites, I have a new recipe for you-which includes greek yogurt!

MANGO cranberry almond greek yogurt flax oat powerhouse bars!!

Whew that’s a mouthful (no pun intended 🙂 ) But how do I fit in all the amazingness that are in these bars without such a long title?? Seriously, these bars are packed with yummy stuff and will make a great stick-yo-your-ribs snack!

Current Book(s): I just finished reading ‘Someday My Prince Will Come’ by Jerramy Fine. It’s supposedly a memoir, and it definitely has some funny parts, but it’s a bit boring and really dragged on. I felt like I kept waiting for something to happen. I guess I have too high expectations after finishing the Matched trilogy.

Current Music: Anything country. Loving Brantley Gilbert after hearing him live at the Tim McGraw concert last weekend!

Current Guilty Pleasure:Kind Granola. I guess it isn’t that guilty as it’s packed with awesome ingredients. But eating it multiple times a day makes that guilty- but to be honest, I am not guilty 🙂

Current Nail Color: Nude…as in au natural. I just took off a light pink color (above) after it chipped a lot Sunday. You’d think I had been folding laundry with sandpaper or something.

Current Drink: Iced coffee with half n half. I have been having this every morning for over a week now. It’s replacing my foamy cap addiction now that it’s getting warmer outside. I can’t drink something hot when it’s hot! (But I can have oatmeal? Oh the weird quirks I have).

Current Food: Salad with chickpeas, veggies, and my homemade carrot ginger dressing. Every time I go to a sushi restaurant I have to order their house salad to see how their ginger dressing compares to my fav places. This dressing, while a bit different, is SO flipping good- spicy and sweet, it is perfect for a summer lunchtime salad! I also have been LOVING my repeat dinners of late:

Current Favorite Show: I am not currently watching any series… though I watched ‘The Following’ religiously. I also like the Millionaire Matchmaker. The only ‘new’ shows I watch are House Hunters- specifically, House Hunters International. Makes me want to move to another country every time! Otherwise, I watch random food shows on Food Network, reruns of Sex and the City, and movies on my free HBO.

Current Wish List: Ice cream maker. I want to make my own greek froyo. I also want a vita mix. And I want these flat sandals from Aldo so bad.

I almost bought them at the store in the mall, but the clerk was helping someone else and I didn’t have the patience to wait.

Current needs: See above. No, I actually need new running shoes. I try to get a new pair every year and now is the time! I also need new walking shoes for my commute to work, but I’ll prob just keep using my old running shoes once I purchase new ones.

Current Indulgence: Starbucks coffee. I did a post about saving money and I fell off the instant-coffee bandwagon. I love coffee made for me. I know I know, the shame!!

Current Blessing: My family, my health, my friends that have stuck with me no matter what, and my job.

Current Outfit: Typing this up at work, I am wearing my sneakers (hey, no one sees me and I’ll change into big girl shoes when I have meetings), fitted black slacks and a nude/pink long seeve fitted sweater with black trimmed collar (which matched my nude/pink lined blazer).

She had mentioned needing to get away for a bit, so we decided to hit our favorite low-key spot down there. We actually found our accommodations on airbnb! I am soo excited for a mini girls weekend away!!

Happy Thursday Lovers!!

Question: What are you- Currently reading? Currently wanting/needing? Current guilty pleasure?

If you follow me on twitter, you’ve seen my tweets about my anguish over whether or not to continue going to Crossfit. As much as I love the intensity, I don’t think my body can handle 4-6x a week (as much as I would like it to), so I decided to email my Crossfit box to decrease my membership again (I switched from unlimited to 13x a month for May as I was going to be on leave for a good portion of the month).

Well, after getting a very snarky email reply, I started seriously considering quitting. Especially after I received a reply tweet from Leslie saying a similar thing happened to her friend. She and I chatted about the CF ‘cult-like culture’ making me feel like I am not as committed as I should be. Even though I know each box is different, recently I have been feeling this pressure and becoming more frustrated. Workouts were becoming more stressful with how much I should be doing vs what I want to be doing. (And yes I know not all workouts will be sunshine and daisies).

My feelings exactly for crossfit recently.

Adding fuel to my growing CF-distaste-fire, my mojo has been off, I’ve been going less frequently, and I actually get anxious and stressed about going. It doesn’t help that I have an hour between work and CF to stew about a workout (yes I realize I have strange anxiety issues).

I read a really interesting article about why someone hasn’t tried CF yet (and doesn’t plan to), and I think I may have gotten caught up in the fad she explains. While I love the intensity and group inspiration during workouts, I really don’t like the CF culture that is ‘crossfit is the only way to workout.’ Sometimes I just don’t have the energy for an entire hour of intensity/weights/craziness. Sometimes I just want to do a dvd/go for a run/just do yoga. Sometimes, I want to skip a workout entirely and do what my body wants- REST.(Insert audible gasp here)

Resting like Patty here 🙂

Initially I thought I had to go every day since I was paying so much and I wanted a ripped Crossfit body. I know it’s only been a short time and I can’t be discouraged by non-immediate results. I must focus on what I have accomplished-I have been lifting heavier/getting stronger/muscles getting firmer/etc. But I don’t know if I can be one of those people totally addicted to CF- their whole lives consumed by it- they hang out with just CF people, talk nothing but RX and PR and the ‘girls,’ and eat only paleo. I usually get caught up in fads for a while then go to something else (whole30, repeat breakfasts, running). I was hoping CF would have cured my exercise ADD, but I think its just my personality to want to keep changing things to do what I want to do- which is how exercise should be, right?

Here’s a novel idea: exercise should be what we want to do vs what we should do.

With that said, I came home from work last Wednesday itching for a good sweat session. Since I was still a little miffed with CF (yes I am immature), I decided to make up my own workout- doing what I want to do. Here’s the workout I did and posted yesterday:

I finished in roughly 30 minutes and felt totally accomplished. Want to make it even more sweaty? Simply make sure your gym has the AC turned off during a heatwave!! 🙂

After chatting with friends and the bf about it, ruminating about it for days, considering all the pros (feel great after each workout, getting stronger, encouraging atmosphere, challenging workout), and cons (price, distance once I move, email, increasing cult-like atmosphere, loss of mojo), I decided to quit my membership (all you dedicated Crossfit goers, insert your shock and shame face here).

Although I can financially afford it, I am moving in with my bf soon and want to save as much money as I can so I can pay off my student loans as fast as possible. I plan to join the bf’s gym which offers bootcamp and bodypump classes, as well as continuing my own Crossfit-like workouts. Now that I know what the intensity should feel like, the right way to perform lifts and other Crossfit moves, I think I can continue and stay fit for a fraction of the cost- and the anxiety!

That’s all the heavy-ness I have for you today. Thoughts? Am I silly to quit? Have you ever agonized over quitting something?

This post is a bit difficult for me to write as I hate admitting defeat. But it needs to be said- for my own mental clarity and for others that may be feeling the same. Plus, admission is the first step, right?

Recently I have been going through what I can only describe as burnout. I am exhausted. Mentally and physically. I am losing my motivation to workout, to bake, to go out and do anything really. I am indecisive, snippy, and easily frustrated. I am in a slump am finding it hard to get back to my happy self. I hate feeling this way. I am trying hard to fake being happy, but it’s not working. I fill any free time I have with activities so I don’t have to acknowledge these emotions. But I think it’s catching up with me. This infuriates me. I am strong and should be able to handle life’s ups and downs…so what the heck? Snap out of it, woman!!

But no matter how much I try to push out these feelings, I think I may break if I don’t allow myself to let go and accept that I am not superhuman.

And that’s ok.

I am an Employee Assistance Program peer counselor at work and last week we had a quarterly meeting to discuss how to handle dual relationships- coworker and friend, friend and peer, coworker and peer, etc. What is EAP? Per Office of Personnel Management:

“Basic EAP services include free, voluntary, short-term counseling and referral for various issues affecting employee mental and emotional well-being, such as alcohol and other substance abuse, stress, grief, family problems, and psychological disorders.”

Basically I received training to help my workers if they are in need for the above mentioned reasons. I am not a licensed therapist; rather I am there to listen, assess, and refer.

Anyway, in our training we discussed how difficult it can be to help a friend that is also a coworker. At what point is the line between friend and coworker defined? Trying to fit all the roles our friends/coworkers/peers need can be exhausting, especially when juggling this as a collateral duty to normal work responsibilities and our own personal issues.

Our instructor then said something that has stuck with me since:

“We all struggle, even those of us that have years of training to help others. We are all human with human feelings and emotions that can be overwhelming. We are not superhuman. And that’s ok.”

I have been ruminating about this since I recognized that on top of this mental/emotional burnout, I may be experiencing a bit of crossfit burnout. I went crazy hard immediately after I completed elements. I would go 4-5x a week and on my off days I would run. But sometime towards the end of last month I lost my crossfit mojo. Everything in my body began to ache. I was losing my gains in lifting heavy. I didn’t enjoy going.

Maybe not quite this dramatic…but you get the point.

It was obvious I needed a break. So I began to take more rest days. I went to Crossfit less. And as much I despise it, I did some yoga. Yeah yeah I know, shame on this healthy living blogger for not liking yoga.

“It is not a good idea to go hard and fast in all workouts and throughout your life. The CrossFit Methodology asks that of us. Pair that with highly motivated individuals and I see a common problem across my clients, athletes, other coaches and owners. It is an unhealthy routine that drives people to physical and mental burnout and therefore lack of fitness gains.”

After I read this two thoughts came to my mind:

“Makes sense. I should rest more. Then I’ll be in beastmode in no time!”

“Wait, burnout…after only a couple months? Already?!! I am such a failure!”

But then I remembered I am still struggling- trying to fit in my normal work responsibilities, life, friends and family in addition to working hard and pushing my body to be my best at Crossfit. I am still struggling with my grief and how to help my mom with hers. I am feeling overwhelmed with anxiety, grief, and sadness yet have this opposing, rebellious need to still hit Crossfit like these awesome women. It is exhausting to feel this way, but I have to treat my body and mind with love and kindness.

I spoke with Mark’s dad for a bit and we both acknowledged how hard this complicated grief is- both of us agreeing it just plain sucks and no one should have to experience our heartache.

After picking up the shirt my boyfriend and I met my mom at the farmers market in Fredericksburg and picked up some items for dinner. We also ran by Wegman’s for some sushi and crabs- check out our yummy spread!

OMG addictive!!

Momma is awesome- she always stashes her pantry with goodies for me to snack on. New find- these oatmeal cookies from Barbara’s. SO good with awesome ingredients, too!

Even though you cant see it, there’s apricot jam and feta in there- just like Sarah makes! ‘What the what’ you say? Trust me, the combo of sweet and savory is awesome! The bf made this one egg-two white omelet for me and wanted the praise for making the perfect omelet. Awesome job, babe!

Saw this on Instagram. Hysterical. If you read the T-rex trying blog -plus a crossfitter!- you know how funny this is!! Poor T-rex 🙂

Ok ok I can’t take the suspense anymore- I bet you can’t either!! I have to tell you that I won a giveaway Friday…and not just anygiveaway…

I won the Blend Retreat Giveaway from Janetha! I was blown away when I got the email and I am SO SO excited to go!! I actually wanted to go last year but felt I was still kind of a blogger newb. I get to meet so many amazing bloggers- I mean check out the list of who’s going!!

I still feel kind of in awe- someone pinch me!! I never thought I would be going and now I can’t believe I will be in Salt Lake City in just a couple weeks!!

Needless to say this is a very Marvelous Monday!! I hope you had a marvelous weekend as well!

Happy Friday lovers! I have a treat for you today- a guest post from the lovely ladies of Fit.Fun.Femme!! This is a fantastic post that I definitely need to incorporate into my life! Enjoy and have a fabulous weekend!!

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Hey Tiny N Fit readers! Sara and Natalie here from Fit.Fun.Femme and we’re super pumped to be guest posting today. Thanks so much for welcoming us into your home for the day. 🙂

We wanted to talk to you guys about something we are both passionate about – meditation. Yea – we know what you’re thinking. It’s really freaking hard to quiet your mind. If it were easy it wouldn’t be called practice, right? RIGHT!

To help convince you to power down your computer/phone and be still for 5 minutes a day we’re sharing some pretty awesome health benefits associated with meditation that you definitely want to know about.

Meditation can help reduce stress by lowering production of the stress-related chemical, cortisol. Pretty cool, huh?

Suffer from migraines, backache or chronic pain? Meditation can benefit you, too. A study showed that patients who meditated were able to reduce and sometimes eliminate symptoms just from doing meditation. FOR REAL!

Got a little anxiety in your life (who doesn’t?!) and want a way to combat it without pills? Meditation has been proven to decrease anxiety. SCORE!

So this is pretty much a no-brainer. Carve out 5 minutes in your day to dedicate to your well-being. We promise you won’t regret it.

1. Wake up 5 minutes early. Seriously – it’s not that hard. Sit on your floor (or yoga mat) in the middle of a room or against a wall if you need back support. Inhale and exhale deeply. Set your timer on your phone for 5 minutes and enjoy.

2. Walking the dog? Having a hard day? Driving in traffic? This is the perfect time to meditate. Focus on your breath and begin inhaling to a count of four and exhaling to a count of four. As thoughts come into your mind allow them to pass like clouds in the sky. If this is too difficult and your mind is racing (this is totally normal) say a mantra to yourself. Maybe “I am calm and steady” if you’re experiencing a lot of stress or “I am awesome and confident” if you have a presentation at work coming up. Tailor your mantra to suit your needs and you’ll see what a difference it can make.

3. If waking up early isn’t your thing (really, we understand) how about taking 5 minutes before bed? Sit upright in your bed propping yourself up with pillows. You can set a timer on your phone or forget the timer and see what happens. You’ll likely sleep like a baby after a little mind relaxing.

4. Try adding some music to your meditation practice. Turn your phone to Pandora or Spotify and search “meditation”. Find something that clicks with you and go to town.

5. Smile! Ok- we know that one sounded a little weird. Studies show that the act of smiling can actually make you happier. If you’re having a hard time meditating (mind is busy, back hurts, dog is barking) put a slight smile on your face. It might help you release whatever tension you’re holding on to so you can slip into serenity.

Know that there is no right or wrong way to meditate and there is no such thing as a bad meditation session. Just like we all have awesome runs and really crappy ones, meditation will be the same. The important part is that you did it!

Hello and happy hump day! I hope everyone’s having a great week- and that you had a stellar weekend like me! Here’s a quick recap:

I drove to my momma’s house this weekend with the bf for a quick visit. I didn’t get to spend time with my niece, nephew or sister as they headed to a cheer competition a few hours away. I’m sad I didn’t get to see much of them but they won several titles!! Proud auntie right here 🙂 Friday night we had a fabulous Mexican dinner out, followed by movie night where we saw ‘Olympus has fallen.’ While the firearm-instructor bf and federal-government-employee-self kind of nitpicked the validity of the movie, it was still very entertaining and suspenseful! Plus, this man in any movie is a great movie!

Saturday I spent a couple hours tossing out junk I saved from my childhood so momma could have her garage back. I still have several more boxes to go through in her basement, but it felt good to clear out stuff I no longer need. (PS- this site has great advise on when to let sentimental things go). Other than a few key pieces (my high school diploma, old photos) I said a quick goodbye to my pogs and tossed the rest out.

Aside from the normal GCL- grocery/chores/laundry- the rest of the weekend was pretty relaxing. At Crossfit I found my 1RM (1 rep max) for overhead squats- 55#. Not much, but it’s a good starting point, and I can only progress from here! I also dead-lifted 65#- more than I ever thought I could do! I am seriously in love with Crossfit. I am doing so much and pushing my body more than I ever imagined and it feels amazing!! I have never been more sore but it hurts so good!

Well, what better way to finish off a great weekend and break up the work week than with a recipe? I never really had the intention to post these until Bethany urged me to after seeing this pic on Instagram:

Wow, that pan needs some scrubbing!

I was in such a baking mood I decided to make two different kinds of muffins- cinnamon and blueberry (pictured).

These sucker’s are dense and lightly sweet and packed with healthy ingredients that make a great addition to any breakfast- and they have some serious staying power!

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a muffin tin with muffin liners- and spray the paper ones with non-stick spray, this batter sticks! Whisk eggs, applesauce, vanilla, almond milk and spices in a bowl until well combined. Add quinoa, flax seed, and oats and mix until just combined. If making blueberry muffins, add the barely-thawed blueberries (just take out and let them thaw while you prep your other ingredients) and mix until combined. Spoon into muffin tins and bake at 375 for 25 minutes or until lightly brown. Let cool a bit and serve! I topped mine with a little sunbutter- well, because I put that shizzle on everything! (ha ha like Franks redhot, but BETTER!)

Get creative with these- add in mini chocolate chips, use other frozen berries or dried cranberries, add a couple tablespoons of nutbutter- or sunbutter!!- add chopped walnuts or sunflower seeds. The possibilities are endless!

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Hello! My name is Krista and am a 20-something government worker trying to live a fit and healthy life in our Nation's Capital! I have an addiction to almond butter, pistachio gelato, and challenging workouts! I hope to continue to be inspired by the health blog world and maybe inspire you, too! Feel free to shoot me an email at tinynfit (at) gmail (dot) com. Thanks for visiting my little slice of the blogosphere!